Rabbi Howard Morrison

It is noteworthy that the beginning of Leviticus, the portions of Vayikra and Tzav, focus on the bringing of sacrifices. This weekend, many of our Christian neighbors observe Easter. For them, the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross is the new means of atonement, especially when in 70CE, the Temple was destroyed, and sacrifices were no longer attainable.

More than once, Christians have challenged me and other Jews  - How do Jews achieve atonement without the rituals of the Temple? It is another way of asking why Jews do not accept Christ. Here are some brief responses:

1. The ancient sacrifices were always accompanied by prayer and repentance.
2. Sacrifices alone never achieved atonement.
3. The Prophets teach that ethics and morals are the underpinning of any sacrifice.
4. Rabbi Yohanan taught that after the destruction of the Temple, atonement is achieved thru acts of lovingkindess.
5. The binding of Isaac is already our call that God does not demand the sacrifice of a person as a form of atonement for others. Putting that passage in the Siddur may have been a response to our Christian critics. By the way, Jews call that narrative the "binding of Isaac," whereas our Christian neighbors call it the "sacrifice of Isaac."

So, Happy Easter to our Christian neighbors. Practice your beliefs without pogroms and blood libels, as once was the case at this season. We Jews have no reason to apologize for our beliefs and practices. Let us be the best version of Jews we can be.

Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Howard Morrison